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Alleging serious safety lapses in State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) buses, drivers and conductors are staging a three-day sit-in protest near SETC head office Pallavan Salai Chennai. The protest which began on January 7 will end on Friday, January 9.
The protest highlighted issues such as the use of poor-quality spare parts, reusing tyres beyond safety limits, and inadequate maintenance, which they say have led to frequent accidents and breakdowns.
The protesters demanded proper maintenance of buses and the use of quality spare parts to ensure passenger safety. They alleged that cost-cutting measures were being implemented at the expense of human lives.
Arumuga Nainar, General Secretary of Tamil Nadu Government Transport Employees Union, said that against a sanctioned strength of 900 technical staff, only 290 are currently working. “No technical staff have been appointed since 1997, and the juniormost among the existing staff is 58 years old,” he said.
Union leaders also alleged that drivers are forced to handle basic repairs themselves. “When headlights fail, drivers buy bulbs with their own money, fix them before the trip, and remove them after completing the journey. Frequent handling of headlights can lead to fire accidents,” said Kanagaraj, General Secretary of the SETC Bus Union, who has over 30 years of experience.
Kanagaraj said that SETC currently operates around 1,100 buses. He pointed out that tyres have a usage limit of 2.6 lakh kilometres, after which they should not be used.
However, tyres are being retreaded and reused, including in the front wheels, leading to frequent tyre bursts. He further alleged that drivers are instructed to shift tyres from back to front and vice versa every week, weakening the bolts, which are often sourced from scrap shops.
He claimed that the recent Thittakudi accident occurred on Trichy-Chennai National highway on December 24, last year due to poor maintenance. The incident claimed nine lives and left ten people injured.
He also alleged that at least ten more tyre burst incidents have occurred since then. Recently, a front wheel reportedly came off a bus in Dindigul district, he said.
Ponraj, who has been working as a driver and conductor in SETC for 15 years, said that in many air-conditioned buses, only three out of six blowers function properly, resulting in inadequate cooling. “Passengers often argue with us and gradually avoid using SETC buses,” he said.
Drivers and conductors alleged that all these measures are aimed at reducing operational costs and increasing profits, with little concern for passenger safety. They recalled that a statewide protest was organised in June 2025 with similar demands. Although talks were held with officials and assurances were given, none of the promises have been implemented so far.
They also alleged that drivers and conductors are forced to take responsibility for failures caused by poor maintenance. Over the past year, thousands of transfers have reportedly been issued for minor mistakes to shield government officials. They further alleged that bribes are demanded to cancel or reverse transfers.
Union leaders claimed that as per Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) rules, 8% of revenue should be spent on spare parts, but this has now been reduced to 2%.
He expressed suspicion that the government is deliberately weakening public transport to push passengers towards private transport.
Kanagaraj said they will resume the protest after Pongal at the same venue.